


Not A Prize

by camichats



Series: Imagine James and Sirius Prompts [95]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, Angst, Getting Together, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 18:52:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19179331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camichats/pseuds/camichats
Summary: James and Remus both fancy Sirius, and they agreed that neither of them could spend time alone with him until they got it sorted. For his part, Sirius has no bloody idea what's going on, except that his mates are avoiding him like he has dragon pox.





	Not A Prize

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: “so, james and remus being competitive about sirius? and sirius being oblivious? and they're not realising that at some point they started hurting him a bit? some angsty dumb teenagers? and getting their shit together right before one of them almost really hurt him (maybe force him, maybe alcohol involved) I mean before they destroy their friendship and u know they're just dorks and marauders are always angsty af;-;;”
> 
> I took the fluffier route so that we could still have the close friendships <3

Sirius threw himself down on the couch by Remus, grinning widely. "Moony, I just had the _best_  idea for a prank and I need your help. Sorry to say it mate, but it's gonna be a lot of research. We'll be stuck in the library for hours, but there should be time for you to finish this up." In all honesty, Remus would spend the vast majority of the time sitting at the study table, making sure that Madam Pince didn't put the books back on the shelves, assuming that, since they were unattended, Sirius was done with them. 

Remus glanced up when Sirius sat down, but then he kept his eyes pinned to the textbook in front of him. "I'm busy, ask Peter." 

"If I needed Wormtail's help, I'd be talking to Wormtail." Plus Peter was on a date right now. "C'mon Remus, this is the greatest prank of the season!" 

"Then you can tell all of us when we're in the dorm." 

"Remus-" 

"I'm trying to get this bloody assignment done," Remus said, cutting him off. He slammed his book closed and got to his feet, picking up his bag and swinging it over his shoulder. He walked away without so much as a backward glance. 

Sirius watched him leave, heart sinking. "I just..." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Why was this happening lately? It was bad enough that James was avoiding spending any time just the two of them, but now there was no doubt that Remus was doing it too. Were all the Marauders doing this to him? He knew for a fact that James and Remus were spending time together, so it's not that the friend group was having issues. He should find Peter and check on this, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with this shite. He pushed himself up and trudged up the stairs to their dormitory. Whatever. If James and Remus wanted to ignore him, then fuck them. He was a damn catch of a friend, and he hadn't done anything to deserve this. 

* * *

Sirius beamed as he saw James walking to class a little ahead of him, Remus at Prongs's side. He jogged forward, throwing his arm around James's shoulders. "Hey. Where were you at breakfast this morning? I was all by myself." 

"Er," James said, glancing over at Remus, his body stiff and uncomfortable under Sirius's arm. "Just got an early start is all." 

"What, both of you?" 

They nodded, neither of them looking at him. 

Sirius frowned. "Is there something you want to tell me? Because you've both been acting-" 

"Ugh," James said loudly, an exaggerated groan to cut Sirius off before he could finish his sentence. "I can't believe we have to deal with flobberworms _again_. This is a form of torture they're experimenting with, I'm sure of it." 

Sirius swallowed down the hurt and took a seat on the ground where Professor Kettleburn had set out cushions. He saw James subtly shift away from him after sitting. It wasn't much, but it was there. His throat felt tight, and he didn't hear a single thing Kettleburn said. 

When the class ended, Sirius got to his feet. He bent down to pick up his bag, and by the time he'd straightened, James and Remus were hurrying away. 

"Your friends leaving you behind, Black?" Snape sneered. 

Sirius's hand curled around his wand. 

"Did they finally realise that they'd be better off without you?" 

He got three days of detention, but it was worth it to get that smug look off Snape's face. It didn't really make him feel better overall, but the only thing that would fix that was if his friends bloody talked to him again and stopped treating him like a kid with dragon pox. 

The first night of detention was that night after dinner. Neither of them asked why he'd been late to the next class, and when he had to leave dinner early, neither of them commented on it. He spent a couple hours scrubbing out his frustration on sections of moldy castle wall. He got back to the dorm, and Peter was the only one to look concerned about the time and the fact that he'd had detention. Remus and James were on the former's bed, and they barely glanced at him. Sirius grit his teeth and grabbed his sleep clothes, stomping off to the showers and slamming the door. 

"Well fuck you too," he muttered, angrily throwing his clothes down on the counter. 

* * *

"He knows something's wrong," James said, looking towards the door. 

"No shit," Remus said flatly. "But we agreed that neither of us would be alone with him until we get this sorted, and we still haven't got it sorted, so tough shit. He'll get over it once everything settles." 

"Will he?" Peter piped up from across the room. "He got detention and neither of you asked about it. You didn't even know it happened until I said something. He might understand Remus's side of this, but you, James?" 

"What do you mean, me James?" 

"You're his best friend. You haven't spent this much time apart since summer break after first year and now you're ignoring him without an explanation." 

"Are you on Remus's side?" James asked, hurt and completely missing the point that Peter was trying to make. 

"Oh no no no, I'm not taking sides in this, I already told you. Leave me out of this mess." 

"If you want to be left out," Remus said, "maybe stop interjecting to tell us how stupid you think we are." 

"But you _are_  being stupid." 

They both glared at him, and Peter held up his hands in surrender. 

"I'm just saying," he mumbled, dropping his head to look back at the cards he was laying out on his bed in a muggle game. 

"If your only opinion is that we're being stupid, keep it to yourself," James said. 

"It's not my _only_ opinion, it's just the loudest one." 

"Well why don't you share the rest since you're so talkative," Remus offered, but there was a distinctly unfriendly tone to his voice. 

"Me? Talkative? You must be thinking of someone else." 

"No, c'mon Peter, tell us what you think of the situation." 

Peter, the coward, turned into a rat and scampered off the bed and through his little hole in the wall before they could stop him and force him to answer. He recognised that look on both of their faces, and he wasn't playing with fire like that. 

"Arsehole," James muttered. 

"He's right though. What are we going to do?" 

"Well call me crazy but we could always _talk_  to Sirius." 

"And say what?" 

"We wouldn't _say_  anything, we'd just ask him if he fancies one of us. If he does, that person gets to be with him, and the other will just have to deal." 

"What if he doesn't like either of us?" 

"Then this problem is dead and we can both mope in silence." 

Remus nodded. "Do you really think you could accept it if he chose me, though? I'm not saying he will," Remus hurried to say, "but is that something you'd be okay with? Honestly?" 

James thought about it, then sighed. "I dunno. I don't think I'd be willing to lose either of you, no matter what else I feel." 

"So you want to do it?" 

"Yeah." 

"Alright," Remus said, chewing on his lip. "Tomorrow night then? We'll ask him together, after dinner." 

"Sounds good," James replied, then made a face. It didn't sound _good_ , but it was happening. 

* * *

Sirius had been half in love with James since third year, but he never said anything for fear of losing their friendship. James was his best mate and he was absolutely _terrified_  that something could jeopardize that. But with the current state of things, there wasn't much he _could_  lose. 

They were in the common room, getting ready to go to dinner, and Sirius figured now was the best time. He grabbed James's arm and dragged him up the stairs to their dormitory. 

"Sirius- wait- what the hell are you doing?" he spluttered in different variations as he fumbled up the stairs. 

"What I need an excuse to talk to my best mate?" 

"This isn't talking, this is kidnapping!" 

"We live in the same place." 

"Still!" 

Sirius kicked the door closed, finally stopping once they were far enough in the room that James couldn't stretch his arm out and touch the door. "What the hell's going on with you? Me wanting to talk to you shouldn't be strange, but you've been avoiding me for bloody weeks." Well, more like one, but still it was weird as fuck. Since they made the mirrors to have over the summer, they talked to each other every single day. 

"Er, I'm not sure avoiding is the right word for it," James said, even as he averted his eyes and rubbed at the back of his neck. He took a step back like Sirius wouldn't immediately notice. 

Sirius took a step forward to keep the distance the same, but James took another step back. Sirius hurried forward and put his hands on either side of James's face before he could move away again. "James... I love you." Saying it aloud was half terrifying and half liberating. "It's killing me that you won't talk to me. Even if you don't feel the same, will you please just go back to normal?" 

"I- Sirius, it's not that." 

He surged forward, kissing James desperately. 

It took a minute, but then James started to kiss him back, hands going to Sirius's hips. The door opened before it could really go anywhere, and they both turned their heads to see Remus standing in the doorway, looking betrayed and angry. "What the fuck?" 

"Remus," James said, hurriedly detaching himself from Sirius like he was embarrassed to be seen with him, "it's not what it looks like." 

"Whatever," Remus said, obviously upset. He turned around and left, and James ran after him, calling his name. 

"Wh- Ja-" the door closed "-ames," Sirius finished weakly, staring at the door. Feeling weak in the knees, he stumbled to his bed and dropped down. He rubbed at his face nervously, hands shaking. He'd thought... well, James had kissed him back. He thought it meant something, but evidently not if James was willing to drop him like a pile of rubbish. He started sniffling, and he accepted that he wouldn't be going to dinner tonight. Whatever, the elves working in the kitchen liked him, he'd be able to grab some food later. 

"So much for waiting after dinner," Remus spat. 

"Remus, I swear, it's not like that! Sirius kissed me, I swear I didn't say anything to him." 

"Yeah I'm so sure that Sirius just decided to snog you when he hasn't shown any sign of wanting to do it before." 

James pulled out his wand. "I swear on my magic that Sirius kissed me first, and that he was the one to initiate the conversation." 

Remus blinked at him rapidly. "What the- why the _fuck_  did you just do that?? James, you can't be so stupid, if that had-" 

"It wasn't going to do anything because I was telling the truth! Moony, I- I don't know what that was." He glanced back at the tower with longing, but he turned back to Remus. "He pulled me aside and did it, I was going to wait until after dinner like we agreed, I swear." 

"I believe you, don't-" he bat his hand at James's wand hand, pushing it down "-don't do that again." Remus let out a breath, chewing on his lip as he thought. "He fancies you?" he asked quietly. 

"That's what he said." 

Shoulders slumping, Remus nodded. "Yeah that's... that's sort of what I expected, you know? It's not like I can really compare with... what you have." He wiped at his eye quickly, hoping that James wouldn't notice even though he was right in front of him, looking towards him and not anywhere else. Remus stumbled when James threw his arms around him, hugging him. 

"Don't say it like that Moony. You're a bloody catch and anyone would be lucky to have you." 

"Just not Sirius." 

"It's not his fault he's a dumbarse who chose the wrong bloke." 

"You're not the wrong bloke." 

James let him go. "Remus if it's going to be uncomfortable for you, I won't be with him." 

"Don't be a fucking idiot," Remus said, slapping him upside the head. "You're in love with him. You told me it was a crush, but I'm not so stupid that I believed it. Go back up there and apologise." 

"But what about you?" James asked, looking at him earnestly. 

"I'll be fine." 

"Moony..." 

"I will be. Sirius is... he's great," Remus said wistfully. "But I'll get over him one day, and then I get to see two of my best friends be happy together. What's better than that?" 

James gave him another hug, only leaving when Remus gave him a playful shove back towards Gryffindor Tower. 

When he got back in the dormitory, Sirius was sitting on his bed, wiping tears off his cheeks and looking miserable. 

"You okay?" 

"You came back," Sirius said. 

"Yes. I mean, obviously, since I'm here," he added nervously, then winced. That sounded expectant, which it shouldn't when he was the one who ran off. 

"Don't you think Remus might need you?" Sirius asked bitterly, using his sleeve to clean his face off a bit more. 

"It's not like that." 

"Really? Because we kissed, and then Moony walks in and gets mad at you, and you tell him that it's not what it looks like. So, what? Was us kissing a hallucination I had? Or were you just kissing me back because you didn't want to tell me to shove off." 

James walked over to him and sat on his bed. "Me and Remus have been... ignoring you for a while." 

"Funnily enough, I noticed that." 

"See, we both fancy you, and we agreed that neither of us could spend time alone with you until we figured it out. Yesterday, we said we'd talk to you after dinner, together. And then he walks in and sees us kissing, and he thinks that I lied to him." 

"You fancy me?" 

"Course I do." 

"And Remus...?" 

"He said it's fine if we're together." 

"And that's what you want?" 

James wrapped an arm around Sirius's waist. "Yeah. I'm sorry about, well, everything this last week. It really did seem like the best option we had." 

"Why was talking to me immediately out of the question?" 

"Because we didn't think about it until yesterday." 

Sirius looked at him flatly. "Seriously? You're the smartest bloke in our year-" 

"I am not."

"-and it took you a _week_  to come up with that?" 

"It was a stressful time," James said defensively. 

Sirius chuckled, leaning into James's side. "You're such a bloody moron." 

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" 

"I dunno, are you gonna kiss me again?" 

James kissed the top of his head, and Sirius turned to scowl at him. 

"That doesn't count." 

"How about we go to dinner, and when we get back we can snog proper?" 

"Or we could snog now _and_  after dinner." 

"Don't be greedy." 

"You were ignoring me for a week; I get to be greedy." 

"We could try taking things slow?" James suggested. 

Sirius huffed. "Prude. Fine, we'll do it your way." 

**Author's Note:**

> This is from a prompt driven blog @[imaginejamesandsirius](https://imaginejamesandsirius.tumblr.com) on tumblr. Feel free to drop by!


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